


to brighten bleaker days

by ohprongs



Category: Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: 4+1 fic, AU, All Human!AU, F/F, Face Sitting, Fingering, I HAVE WANTED TO WRITE A +1 FIC FOR SO LONG YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND, M/M, Oral Sex, clary and izzy are my beautiful daughters i luv them, clizzy au, i have no idea how american cinemas work tbh, only the final chapter is rated E, the first four are General
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-04
Updated: 2016-06-08
Packaged: 2018-06-07 10:56:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6800833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohprongs/pseuds/ohprongs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>four times izzy stole clary's seat and one time she didn't</p><p>all inspired by the tumblr prompt: 'you’re in my seat this is my seat see i can prove it like it even has my name on it who do you think you are sitting your ass down on MY seat' au</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Movie Theatre

**Author's Note:**

> clizzy!!! my lil heart is bursting!!
> 
> title from _shine like neon rays_ by katzenjammer

Overfilled popcorn bag clutched in one hand, Simon’s arm in the other, Clary winds through the movie theatre in an attempt to find the right screen. She steers them past various people in costume, some of whom are wielding light-sabres. They dodge a young girl with her hair done in Princess Leia braids and Clary checks with Simon to make sure the movement hasn’t jogged him - he’s carrying two large disposable cups of Coca-Cola. He smiles at her. As always, he’s right there, familiar weight and warmth pressed gently against her side.

They make their way to the correct screen and show their tickets to the guy on the door, who waves them in with a smile. Simon is humming the main theme from Star Wars as she scrabbles their tickets around in her hand and checks their seat numbers. 

“Row G, Seats 35 and 36,” she tells him, and they set off up the stairs towards the back of the theatre. Simon recites the letters as they climb, and finally they reach Row G. On the end of the row are three empty seats. Next to those sits a tall man with dark messy hair - though to be fair, to Clary, most people are tall, but even sitting down this man seems like he might tower over her. The black ink of a tattoo peeks out from under his shirt collar, winding up his pale neck. He hasn’t noticed Clary and Simon, or if he has, he pays them no attention; he's leaning into the man sitting next to him and whispering something against his ear, lips lingering on the other man’s skin. The other man turns his head towards the tattooed guy. Clary notices that the tips of the other man's hair are turquoise, then properly looks at his face, which is crinkled in a sunlit smile, and realises who he is. 

Before she can get the man’s name out, someone - a girl - brushes past her, then turns to apologise.

 “Sorry,” the girl says brightly. Her black hair is arranged in a fishtail braid that rests over her shoulder, pointing down to the egg-yolk yellow writing on her periwinkle top that says _Star Wars_. Clary’s pretty sure the wings on the girl’s eyeliner could kill a man, and she’s simultaneously impressed by and envious of the girl’s evidently steady hand. “Didn’t see you there.”

The girl slips past Clary and plonks into the seat with next to the tattooed guy, leaning over him to steal some of his drink. The dark violet of the girl’s lipstick is highlighted around the white straw, which Clary absolutely doesn’t notice. She tears her eyes away and glances down at the seat numbers printed on the two chairs in front of her; 36 and 37. 

“This us?” asks Simon, nudging her forward. 

“Um,” says Clary distractedly. She shakes her head. “No. Wait.” She checks the tickets again and shakes her head. “S’cuse me,” she says, taking two steps forward so she’s standing next to the girl who just bumped into her. “These -" she gestures to the empty seat next to the girl, and the one the girl is sitting in “- are our seats. Mine and Simon’s.”

The girl blinks up at her with doe eyes. Simon tugs on her coat sleeve.

“We can just sit here,” he says. “There are two free seats here.” Clary doesn’t look at him, but she can imagine he’s got his  _sorry about my best friend_  face on. She rolls her eyes. 

“Not the point.  _That_ ’s my seat. You’re in my seat.”

“Clary?” a new voice says. She looks further down the row and sees both men sitting with the girl are looking at her, although it’s obvious who had spoken. Magnus is smiling at her, though there’s some confusion in his eyes. The guy next to Magnus regards her stonily. 

“Hi, Magnus,” she greets, then turns back to the girl. “Look, no offence, but that’s my seat. It’s got my name on it.” Clary turns the ticket towards the girl, but it’s pretty dark in the theatre and she doubts the girl can see it properly.

“Clary, the people behind you are starting to get annoyed,” Simon mumbles in her ear, and he plops down in seat 37, somehow without spilling any of their drinks on himself. 

“Well, there wouldn’t be a problem if she got out my seat,” Clary reasons, adjusting the bag of popcorn she’s holding.

The girl hasn’t said anything so far. Now she cocks a perfect eyebrow at Clary. “Listen, Clary - or whatever - are you always this rude to strangers, or is it just for me?”

She’s kind of smiling around the words, and Clary feels her heart skip, in anger. Or something.

"Do you always go around sitting your ass down in other people’s seats, or is it just for me?” she retorts, and the girl just laughs. It feels like a summer breeze and warms Clary from the inside out. The girl stands, and the movement has her right up close to Clary.

“Fine,” the girl says. 

The tattooed guy rolls his eyes and grumbles, “Izzy…”

Clary’s hands brush hers as the girl moves past her to sit down next to Simon. 

“I’ll sit with this  _adorable_ human, instead,” says the girl.

Simon eyes her for a moment, then blurts out, “I have a Raphael - boyfriend -" He shakes his head quickly. "I’ve got a boyfriend.”

The girl shrugs. “Cool. I’d rather you than me.”

Clary can't help but grin at this, and she finally sits down in Her Seat. She rustles the popcorn bag into the holder between her and Simon and blows out a breath.

Someone nudges her arm and she finds Magnus leaning across the guy between them, a smile playing on his lips. “You haven’t changed, biscuit,” is all he says, and Clary pokes her tongue out at him. 

“Oh, shush,” she tells him playfully. The guy catches Magnus’ hand in his own when Magnus leans back in his own seat, and Clary decides she needs to go for coffee with Magnus soon. They clearly have a  _lot_ to catch up on.

Simon taps her on the arm now, and she looks at him.

“Have you got your phone?” he asks her.

“Yeah.” She rummages in her purse and pulls it out. “I forgot - I’m turning it off now.” 

Simon reaches out to stop her. “No, it’s not that,” he says. He inclines his head towards the girl. “She - um, Isabelle - wants it.”

Clary frowns but hands her phone over all the same. She gets it back a moment later, and finds a new contact saved: _Izzy (the cute girl who stole your seat)_. When Clary looks at her, Isabelle smiles, and Clary swiftly decides it’s the kind of smile that could light up the entire world.

The music of the previews booms through the theatre and Clary settles into her seat. She steals a handful of popcorn to munch on. At some point Simon takes her hand, though there's nothing in it - they've sat like this since kindergarten. Over the course of the movie, Clary finds her eyes flicking to Isabelle, and, just once, their eyes meet. Clary's returns her gaze to the screen, knowing a blush is probably painting its way up her face. She tries to get a grip and stop staring, focussing on the action playing out in front of them. But...well. If Clary enjoys the movie a little more because of the girl’s presence, then that’s for her to know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter up tomorrow!!


	2. The Subway

Hands clasped tight around the travel cup in front of her, Izzy takes a tentative sip. She's supposed to be saving it for the journey to the test center and it's too hot anyway, but she needs something to do with the nervous energy that's bounding through her veins. The freshly-brewed coffee burns the tip of her tongue and she recoils, wrinkling her nose. Across from her, Alec lets out a quiet snort.

"Yeah, well, we didn't all come out of the womb with a caffeine habit," she tells him idly, and his mouth twitches, though he doesn't move much from where he's staring lovingly at the coffee in front of him. 

Jace comes into the kitchen with wet hair and nothing on save for a towel wrapped around his waist. He rifles through the assorted bread products on the counter as he speaks. 

"You still here, Iz? No offence."

Izzy grips her Thermos a little tighter, tummy clenching. "Just about to leave," she says. One hand slips from the cup to toy with the jewel on the pendant she's wearing. Jace pops a bagel under the grill and slides into the seat at the island counter next to Alec. 

Alec rubs the sleep from his eyes. "Good - luck," he says earnestly, though it's somewhat distorted by the giant yawn he breaks into halfway through. Izzy stands to go and Alec leans across the table sleepily to squeeze her hand. Jace offers to walk her to the door, but honestly, she feels like she might throw up, and he's just got out the shower. He doesn't need that in his life.

"Nah, it's okay," she tells him.

"What, and deny the neighbours the chance to see all this?" He gestures down his half-naked body and Izzy laughs, nervousness dissipating the tiniest bit. He smiles, and follows her anyway.

Izzy checks her bag one last time before she leaves, making sure she has everything she needs. Jace is watching her, arms folded.

"Quit worrying," he says. "You're gonna kick this test's ass."

She sends a half-hearted hum his way before picking up her Thermos, stepping outside and closing the door. Her stomach is too jittery for her to muster full sentences and she hopes he isn't too put out. 

Izzy counts the steps on the way to the subway station: it’s the best way she can think of to distract herself from thinking about the impending exam. The MCAT she’s about to take could make or break her medical school application, and she needs to get in if she’s ever gonna become a Forensic Pathologist. That’s been her plan for as long as she can remember, and it’s terrifying to think that her entire future could hinge on this test. Logically she knows they’ll consider her whole application, but the test scores could swing it for her.

The urge to throw up has returned. 

Izzy grips the stair rail tightly as she descends to the subway station platform, trying to keep herself grounded.

Her phone bleeps, startling her. The message is from Magnus, a text-story written entirely in emojis that chronicles a girl passing an exam and then going out with her friends to get drunk and celebrate (probably - she’s not entirely sure she can decipher the meaning of the last couple of emoticons). The message relaxes her, dulling her nerves from firebrands to pinpricks.

Izzy starts sending a text back to him, and after a couple of minutes her train pulls into the station. She steps on. Looking up from her reply to Magnus, Izzy spots an empty seat and slips into it.

“Oh my God, are you joking?”

Izzy takes a sip of coffee and ignores whoever’s spoken, assuming it’s not directed at her - people are always engaging in obnoxiously loud phone calls in public. But then something nudges against her leg, and she glances down at the offending limb and finds someone standing close to her.

“That’s _literally_ my seat.”

Izzy looks up, about to point out that it’s not _literally_ their seat, otherwise they’d be sitting in it, dickhead, when -

It’s the girl.

The pretty redheaded one from the cinema. The one who insisted that Izzy had stolen her seat.

The girl - Claire? - is scowling down at her, tendrils of hair escaping from her ponytail and framing her face. Her cheek is cutely smudged with colour and a sketchbook is tucked under her arm. Izzy suddenly, vividly recalls giving her number to the girl, and never getting a call back. Which isn’t in itself a bad thing - the girl might not be interested, might be with someone, might be straight. She might have been busy, or forgotten, or might have hated Izzy with the passion of a thousand burning suns - or something - for stealing her seat at the movie theatre. 

In fact, looking at the girl’s expression, the latter seems entirely possible. The shock at seeing the girl again takes Izzy's breath away - and, alright, maybe the flush on the girl's cheeks has something to do with that too. Izzy pushes her shoulders back, ready to talk to the girl, nervousness momentarily forgotten.

“We have got to stop meeting like this,” Izzy teases, tucking a dark curl behind her ear. “It’s not my fault you were too slow, Claire.”

“It’s Clary,” the girl says, and pink on her cheeks begins to flow down her neck, below her collar. She jolts a little as the train pulls to a stop, and ignores the people bashing into her as they get off. 

“Sorry,” Izzy says. “Clary.”

“It’s fine.” Clary sways a little bit awkwardly after that, and keeps nibbling her lip in ways that are entirely mesmerising. “You’re right,” she says eventually. “We should meet differently next time.” Izzy raises an eyebrow, and Clary shrugs. “That sounded cooler in my head.”

Izzy laughs, though not unkindly. “Well, you have my number,” she reminds Clary.

Clary ducks her head. “Yeah. I meant to call, but everything's just been so busy at home recently - Mom reckons Dad's having a midlife crisis, 'cause he's thinking of giving up his job as a cop and opening a  _bookstore_. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But it's just like, 'wow, Luke, get your shit together!'” Clary stops suddenly, looking a little embarrassed, obviously unaware that Izzy's heart is threatening to burst out of her chest. Clary continues, "I realise now you don't know who I'm talking about, and even if you did, you probably don't want to know. Sorry, I'm rambling again. Simon would be proud. Um."

"It's fine," laughs Izzy, cutting her off. "Simon's your friend from the other night, right?"

"Yeah," nods Clary. "You made quite an impression."

Izzy winks at her. "I always do," she says, then cocks her head. "What kind of impression did I make on you?"

Clary turns scarlet and declines to answer, instead saying, "You look nice. Are you going anywhere?"

Just like that, the easy, relaxed air is gone. Izzy's chest feels heavy again. 

"Oh," she says. "I have this, um, test thing. The MCAT? It's for Med School." 

Clary raises her eyebrows. "Wow," she breathes. "That's - that's amazing. I'm sure you'll do great!"

Izzy swallows. "Hopefully," she says, trying to bring back the lightness that was settled over them only moments ago. "I'll be getting drunk tonight however it goes."

Clary smiles at her, and she opens her mouth to say something when Izzy notices which stop they're about to reach. She takes a deep breath, trying to calm herself, and then stands. Izzy steps past Clary, gesturing to the seat. 

"All yours," Izzy says. Clary's smile widens and she sits down. Izzy lifting her hand in a wave and turning away when she feels the lightest touch on her arm. 

"Let me know how it goes," Clary says quickly, half rising out of the seat, only sitting back down when she has Izzy's attention. The request is unexpected, caring, sweet; it trickles like warm honey. "About the test, I mean."

Butterflies flit in Izzy's stomach, and not just from nerves. She tries to keep her voice normal.

"You'll have to text me first," she tells Clary. 

Clary nods. "I will."

Izzy takes a step towards the door, walking backwards this time so she can still look at Clary.

"I hope your dad gets his shit together," Izzy says, and she leaves the train with Clary's laughter singing in her ears. She stands on the platform, drinking her coffee as she watches the train pull away, and sees Clary flash her a cheesy thumbs up gesture. 

"Good luck!" Clary mouths, and then she's a blur and the train is gone.

Izzy takes a breath. _She's got this._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter three up tomorrow!


	3. The Coffee Shop

The chimes above the door twinkle prettily when Clary pushes the coffee shop door open. Her booted foot holds the door for Izzy, who's half a step behind her. As she enters the coffee shop Izzy's hand brushes the back of Clary's coat in the barest touch, and Clary's stomach flutters. 

They walk to the counter. While Izzy reads the chalkboard menu above the food display unit, Clary watches her. The snap of cold in the air had brought a flush to Izzy's cheeks while she waited for Clary to get to the shop, her nose adorably crimson above the shield of her teal cashmere scarf. Her ebony hair pops against the blue, pulled back into a sleek ponytail. 

"Whatcha getting?" Izzy asks, and Clary snaps her eyes to the menu. Izzy's teeth pull at her lower lip, concealing a smile, and Clary suspects she might not have hidden her staring as well as she'd hoped. 

"Um, a latte, maybe? The biscottis are good here," she says. Izzy hums and observes the cakes in the display unit.

They move up to the front of the line and place their orders, Izzy for a cappuccino and a biscotti, Clary for a latte and slice of chocolate cake. Izzy narrows her eyes when Clary orders.

"Have you deceived me?" she asks teasingly, eyes twinkling. Clary laughs, feigning guilt. 

"You caught me," she says acting wounded. "I saw you eyeing the chocolate cake and thought we could share."

Izzy looks at her for a moment, eyes wide, and Clary swallows. Maybe she's being too forward for a first date? But then Izzy breaks into a grin, and laces her fingers through Clary's.

"An  _excellent_ plan." 

They grab a number sign from the barista, then look around the coffee shop for a table. Izzy points to a table near the window and cocks her head in an unspoken question. Clary nods, winds through the other tables on their way over, hand still clasped in Izzy's. She stands next to the chair on the left side of the table, one hand on the back of it and one placing the number sign on the table. Clary's about to pull the chair out when Izzy slips into it, blinking up at Clary with what's clearly a well-practiced  _I'm innocent_ expression. 

"It's like a tradition," Izzy reasons, still smiling at Clary with doe eyes. Clary pokes out her tongue and pushes back the chair opposite.

"Well, I feel obliged to inform you that that chair was  _literally_ my seat, then," says Clary, and Izzy grins more widely at her. 

They chat for a few minutes until their drinks arrive; Izzy asks after Simon and Clary's parents, Clary inquires about how Izzy met Magnus. 

"He's dating my brother," Izzy explains. Clary recalls the guy from the movie theatre who she had managed to annoy apparently just by existing (okay, and maybe by pressing the thing about the seats a little  _too_ much). 

"Right. The uh, grumpy one from the cinema?" she asks, hoping it's not going to mortally offend Izzy. To Clary's relief, Izzy keeps smiling.

"Alec takes a while to warm up to people," she says affectionately. "How do you know Magnus?" 

"Family friend," Clary says. "He worked with my Mom for a bit and I met him through her. Is it just you and Alec at home, or?"

Izzy shakes her head, but before she can answer their food and drinks arrive. She glances longingly at the chocolate cake set on the table in front of them, so Clary hands her a fork and Izzy breaks off a piece. Clary has to take several gulps of coffee to distract her thoughts from wandering down  _that_ particular path when Izzy moans around her mouthful of cake.

"God, that's divine," she mumbles. Clary counts to five in her head before she loses it in public. 

"Told you," she says weakly, aiming for a semblance of normality. Izzy smiles at her, and Clary's heart skips. She snaps a piece of biscotti, and Izzy starts talking while Clary eats.

"I have three brothers," she says, stirring her coffee absent-mindedly. "Alec is the oldest, then Jace, and Max is my little brother. He's only twelve. Here -" Izzy rummages in her purse for her phone and shows Clary her lockscreen picture when she's found it. "That's us." Clary smiles at the picture. "How about you?"

Clary sips her drink before she answers. "It was just me and Mom for a while, and then she found Luke. They'd always been friends, but they only got together recently."

"Oh," Izzy says. "I thought he was your Dad?"

"He is," Clary says. "Not biologically, but he raised me." 

Izzy accepts this with a smile, and her eyes drift to the window outside. Clary is suddenly very worried that they're going to run out of things to talk about, that Izzy will get bored and not want to see her again, or even worse, get bored and leave, and -

"So, Med School, huh?" she blurts out, an attempt to kick the conversation past its sudden lull. Izzy's eyebrows crinkle for a moment, but then the worry leaves her face and she launches into a story about how she's always wanted to become a doctor, and how her Dad had told her that cutting dead bodies open was not a respectable job for a young lady, and how she'd been grounded for a three days because of her reply. Clary's laughing helplessly by the end of it, which seems to make Izzy smile. 

"You're an artist, right?" she says, once she's got to the end of her story. 

Clary tilts her head. "Uh, yeah. How did you know?"

Colour paints itself over Izzy's cheeks. "You had a sketchbook the other day on the subway," she says, suddenly very interested in tidying the biscotti crumbs on the plate. 

Clary tries to stop herself from smiling too much at the realisation that Izzy's been paying just as much attention to her as she has to Izzy. "I'm in my final year at the Brooklyn Academy of Art," she says. "I illustrate graphic novels." 

Izzy's eyes go wide. "Max would love you. He loves all that anime stuff."

"Really?" Clary says, at the same time Izzy seems to realise that she'd maybe implied that's the only reason Max would like Clary, and so she says, "I mean, he'd love you for other reasons too," which makes Clary laugh. 

"Well, it would be nice to meet him," she says, still smiling, and the unspoken  _next time_ hangs in the air between them. Izzy keeps her gaze fixed on Clary, grazing her bottom lip with pearly teeth, and Clary suddenly feels hot all over. She shuffles in her seat, foot accidentally knocking into Izzy's leg, and Izzy raises an eyebrow. 

Clary knows she's blushing horribly but laughs anyway, smothering her face with her hands. "Oh my God, it was an accident -" she cuts off sharply when she feels Izzy's toes nudging up the inside of her leg, and peeps through her fingers to find Izzy smiling wickedly at her. "You're - you're something else, Izzy," she ends up saying.

Izzy glances down at the table, but she looks rather pleased with the assessment. 

"How do you feel about clichés?" asks Izzy after a moment, and Clary peels her hands away from her face. 

"Uh, there's a time and a place?" she says. "I'm not anti-cliché - I mean, they're clichés for a reason, right? Something must have appealed about them originally." She closes her eyes briefly. What is she even going on about? "Sorry, getting away from the point. Carry on."

Izzy just keeps smiling at her, and though Clary feels a little like she's the joke that's making Izzy laugh, she doesn't really mind too much. 

"Glad we've established that," says Izzy. "I'm also pretty pro-cliché, so I just thought, with the whole set up - coffee shop, accidentally-on-purpose footsie -" Clary protests here "- it might be okay if I kissed you?"

Just like that, Clary's breath catches. She swallows, suddenly very aware of every aspect of her body - sweaty palms, restless fingers, rapid heartbeat - and it must take her a moment too long to answer, because Izzy's smile dims slightly. 

"Sorry, I've misread things -"

Clary lunges inelegantly across the table and captures Izzy's lips with her own. She swallows whatever words Izzy was about to say and kisses her, fireworks bursting behind her eyelids and in her tummy and just about  _everywhere_. Their noses are mashed together and the damn table's in the way - clichés, as it turns out, are just impractical - and it's not the best first kiss in the world, but it also _is_ , because it's _Izzy_. 

They break away after several heart-pounding moments, and when Clary opens her eyes, Izzy's are still closed. She watches as the long-lashed eyelids flutter open, revealing dazed chocolate brown, and can't help but smile. 

"You didn't misread anything," she says softly, and Izzy, seemingly recovered, grins. They don't say anything for a while, just staring at each other. Izzy reaches out to entwine Clary's fingers with hers, and they sit together, bubbling over with happiness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> part four coming tomorrow!


	4. The Lightwoods' House

Ever since the Lightwoods were separated for the first time when Alec went away to college, Thursday evenings have been sibling nights. They get take out, ticking a new food place off their chart each week, and settle in for a movie night or games night or Netflix marathon. Max is allowed to stay up with them till eleven, even though he usually has school the next day.

Six months ago Magnus had joined them for the first time, at Izzy's invitation (it wasn't that Alec didn't want him there, but that he was worried Jace and Izzy would think he wasn't making time for them anymore). They'd got Ethiopian food on his recommendation, and it had only taken one evening for Izzy to be convinced that her brother's boyfriend of then-four months was absolutely perfect.

Today is the first time Izzy's bringing Clary along, and it feels like someone's tossing her nerves with salad spoons in her tummy. She pauses just before unlocking the front door and turns to her girlfriend.

"They'll love you," she says, half to convince Clary and half herself. It's not a formal meet-the-parents thing, but Izzy cares a hell of a lot more about her brothers' opinions on her girlfriend than Maryse and Roberts', so that's not exactly quelling her nerves. She's sure they will adore Clary as she does, but Alec isn't known for being warm and fuzzy and Jace's wit has a razor-sharp edge.

Clary nods and squeezes Izzy's hand. "It'll be fine. I'm excited." 

Izzy takes a breath and opens the door. Max is first to greet her, throwing himself into her arms as soon as she steps over the threshold, and she giggles into his hair, pressing kisses there. 

"Max," she says, and he peels back from her. "This is Clary."

"Hello," Max says, surveying Clary. "Izzy says you draw comic books."

"Yeah, kinda," Clary says, with a smile at Izzy. "I hear you like manga?" 

This sets Max off chattering, and he sits on the stairs next to Clary happily jabbering away while she takes off her shoes. Izzy leaves them with a smile and wanders through to the kitchen where she finds Jace laughing loudly at something, Alec smiling into his beer and Magnus gesturing wildly. 

" _Hola, mis hermanos_ ," she says, and Jace gives a cheer. 

"Hello, my dear," Magnus says, kissing her cheek, and Alec wraps her in a hug from behind. 

"Where's your girl?" Jace asks, peering behind Izzy. 

"She's -" Izzy turns in Alec's embrace to look as Max leads Clary through into the kitchen "- here. Guys, this is Clary." Clary gives a little wave, smiling slightly, and her smile broadens when her eyes land on Magnus. 

Alec doesn't say anything until Izzy elbows him in the stomach. "Uh, hey," he says. Izzy rolls her eyes, which makes Magnus laugh, and she slips out of Alec's hold to offer Clary a drink. While she's getting it Jace comes over to stand by her, leaning down to whisper in her ear. 

"You know Clary?" Izzy refrains from making a smart-ass comment and hums. "Is she - don't take this the wrong way, but is she on Tinder?"

Izzy splutters a laugh. "Why?" 

Jace's brow wrinkles. "We went on a date once," he says, and Izzy makes a little  _huh_ sound. 

"Well, I guess that settles the question of which of us has better game," she teases, slipping away from him to hand Clary her water. Jace just grins, throwing his hands up. 

"What can I say?" He wanders back over to the table where the others are sat, and nods at Clary. "Alright?"

She nods at him, cheeks a little pink. "Um, yeah. You?" 

Alec looks between the two of them, confused. "Am I the only one who doesn't know Clary?"

"I don't," Max says, "but I like her. She can stay."

At this Clary grins, and Izzy leans over to ruffle Max's hair. The easy atmosphere only lasts a minute before the Lightwoods begin arguing over where to get food from, and even though she's distracted, Izzy keeps hold of Clary's hand. 

Eventually they decide on getting calzones from the Italian place around the corner. While they’re waiting for delivery Max sets up the Monopoly board, which Clary eyes with some wariness.

“Is this really a good idea?” she asks Izzy. “I mean, Monopoly is famous for destroying relationships and ending in murder.”

Izzy laughs and nuzzles against Clary’s shoulder, pressing a kiss to the underside of her jaw. 

“Um,” says Max, looking up from the money he’s dealing out, “I think Jace is sad there’s no one to kiss him.”

Jace looks up wide-eyed from where he’s laying out the property cards in the order they fall around the board. “What? No, I’m fine.”

“You looked at Alec and Magnus making out and pouted,” Max points out, and Izzy coos while Alec protests, blushing.

“Aw, Jace,” she says, leaning over to place an exaggeratedly loud kiss on her brother’s cheek. “Feel better?”

He grumbles at her and thumbs the lipstick mark away, but he’s grinning, so Izzy feels like he might not be too annoyed. 

When the doorbell rings Clary volunteers them to get it, tugging Izzy up with her. Izzy greets the delivery guy and pays while Clary balances the stack of boxes on her outstretched arms. They return to the living room and while Clary bends to allow each person to pick off their food box, Izzy sits back in her original place. 

“Iz, can you take these?” Clary is standing, ready to sit, with two boxes left, and Izzy nods, holding out her arms. She puts them on the floor in front of her and, just as Clary’s about to sit down, she scoots over and steals Clary’s space. 

Clary, halfway between standing and sitting, topples, so Izzy grabs her arm and yanks her girlfriend towards her. They end up smushed against each other, giggling. 

“Not again,” Clary complains, though she’s breathless and happy and Izzy doesn’t think she’s too pissed off.

“Couldn’t resist,” she says, and Clary rolls her eyes but kisses Izzy’s cheek all the same. They settle, Clary leaning against Izzy’s shoulder, and begin eating. 

As the youngest Max goes first, and play slowly makes its way around the circle. Izzy watches Jace meticulously arranges his money into piles by denomination once he’s finished his food, then she shares a glance with Alec as Jace slips them under the board in order of ascending value. 

"What?" asks Jace, noticing his siblings are looking at him. Alec swipes part of Magnus’ discarded pizza crust and nibbles on it, apparently trying to hide the wicked grin plastered across his face. Izzy smirks.

"Nothing," says Alec, too innocent.

"Just thinking, it'd be a shame if someone knocked into the board," Izzy comments, shrugging. Jace manages to look aghast and annoyed all at once and that sets Izzy and Alec off laughing. 

Gameplay continues. Each time a property gets snapped up, Izzy can practically feel the tension in the room hiking, and when Jace stops Alec from getting a full set of orange properties he gets a calzone box to the head.

Next to Izzy, Clary seems to be having fun, smiling at her and giggling along when Magnus rather dramatically over-reacts to winning _second_ place in a beauty contest. She's also pretty shrewdly building up her own little fortune. Half in awe and half wary, Izzy presses a succession of kisses to Clary's cheek with the excuse of keeping an eye on her girlfriend. At that, Jace is no longer the only Lightwood being hit with cardboard projectiles.

"God, Iz, keep it in your pants and roll the dice," Alec says.

Five minutes later, when Magnus rolls seven and ends up on Free Parking, Izzy yells across the circle that Alec's a massive hypocrite; the delighted giggle Magnus had let out when scooping up the fake dollars had Alec twitching towards his boyfriend and apparently _just_ refraining from shoving his tongue down his throat. Alec makes a rude gesture in her direction. 

When it comes around to Izzy's next turn, she notices with a slight sinking feeling that though she's safe from the Go To Jail space, she's nearing a long run of greens and blues that are all built on. 

"Huh," muses Clary, trying and failing to hide a smirk, "you're coming up close to my Park Place and Boardwalk, Iz." 

Izzy narrows her eyes at Clary and tosses back her hair. "Not going to happen," she decides, and rattles the die in her hands. Tipping them onto the board, Izzy glances down at the numbers and dread solidifies in the bottom of her stomach. 

"Lucky in love, unlucky in Monopoly, eh?" says Magnus, and Izzy can barely bring herself to roll her eyes as she reluctantly moves her piece to a dark blue square. 

"Aw, thanks, Magnus," Clary coos. "That's $600 please, babe."

Izzy counts out the money with a dramatic sigh. "Careful,  _cariño_ ," she warns. "Pride comes before a fall."

Clary waggles her eyebrows at Izzy. Across the circle, Magnus pokes Alec. 

"How come you never sweet-talk me in Spanish?" he complains, as Clary claps and says, "My go!"

Alec turns a spectacular shade of red that Izzy will have to tease him about later, but she's momentarily distracted by Clary's happy squeal as she lands on Just Visiting. The ruthlessness of the game and its players mean landing on a square where you gain nothing - but lose nothing - is cause for celebration, and Izzy can't help but smile, even though she's just had to pay her girlfriend almost half of the money she has.

By midnight, Max has been shooed off to bed and Izzy and Jace are both bankrupt. Alec and Magnus' relationship looks to be breaking down by the amount of pouts Alec is sending Magnus' way as he gets charged yet another three digit rent, and Clary is gleefully urging play on. She owns almost a quarter of the board, from one railroad to the next, and doesn't seem to have heeded Izzy's warning at all.

Alec declines to pay Magnus in sexual favours once he's run out of money, leaving just Magnus and Clary in play. After another half an hour, Magnus cedes victory to Clary, and she beams brightly. 

"That was fun," she says, and then looks around at the Lightwoods and Magnus. "Oh, God. You hate me, don't you?" She turns to Izzy imploringly. "See, I told you Monopoly was a bad idea."

"Nah," Jace says, shifting back on his elbows and sharing a glance with Alec, then Izzy. "Welcome to the family."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> final part up tomorrow!


	5. Clary's Bedroom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !!WARNING!!  
>  this chapter contains smut. like, the most explicit thing i've ever written. please be aware that the rating has gone up from G to E - if smut isn't your kind of thing, head on out of here now. otherwise, enjoy!

Clary flits around the kitchen, grabbing a fork from one of the drawers and whisking up some eggs. Ever since that time Izzy had made dinner for Clary and her parents and _three_ pans had to be thrown away, she's been banned from cooking in Jocelyn’s kitchen - not that she lets Clary forget it.

“What if I just -” Izzy breaks off at Clary's hum of disagreement. Clary adds a knob of butter to the pan and turns the heat up. “But I could -”

Clary spins to look at her girlfriend, who’s dejectedly resting her chin in her palm. Her pout is award-worthy.

“Iz,” she says, planting a kiss on Izzy’s nose, “Mom would kill me.”

Izzy sighs dramatically. “I guess,” she says. Then, “I hate to tell you, but the butter’s burning.”

“Shit!” Clary turns back to the pan and pulls it off the heat. She wipes it out and then starts again, ignoring Izzy’s mutters of _so unfair_. This time Clary manages to cook the eggs without mishap, and plates them up after a couple of minutes. 

“It’s not my fault you’re so distracting,” she says, sliding one dish across the table to Izzy, who takes the compliment and preens a bit. Clary smiles lovingly at the action, and then her attention is diverted by the appearance of her parents. The Frays' apartment is fairly open plan, so when Jocelyn and Luke walk into the hallway, the four catch sight of each other immediately.

"Morning, girls," smiles Jocelyn. She adjusts the beanie Luke's wearing for him and he passes her a pair of gloves, and Clary wonders if anyone has ever been cuter than the two of them. Well - looking at how her girlfriend is watching Jocelyn and Luke with her eyes scrunched happily, a dimple showing and wearing one of Clary's old paint-covered oversized T-shirts, maybe Izzy is the most adorable thing to ever exist.

"Where are you going?" Clary asks them, swallowing a mouthful of egg. 

"New exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum," Luke answers. "Thought we'd make something of it - go for breakfast at that bakery we found walking back from Alaric's." Dinners with the Rodriguez family are a regular occurrence, and Clary nods in recognition. 

"The place with the rose cupcakes, right?" she asks. 

Jocelyn nods. "Yeah. You're welcome to join us." Clary holds up her fork, loaded with food, and Jocelyn rolls her eyes affectionately. "Maybe later, then."

Luke opens the front door for her and they wave before leaving, calling goodbyes over their shoulder. There's a comfortable silence for a while after they go, both Clary and Izzy eating quietly. 

“You know,” Izzy muses idly, spearing a final cluster of scrambled egg with her fork, “I thought you would have figured it out by now.” 

“Figured what out?” Clary asks.

“Well,” Izzy says, chewing thoughtfully, “when it comes to you, I can think of much better places to sit than your _seat_.”

Clary nearly chokes and has to take a gulp of water.

“Oh my God,” she says, trying for indignant and ending up giggling at Izzy. “How long have you been waiting to use that one?”

“What?” Izzy asks, blinking innocently at Clary. “Hey, it’s true. I love getting head.”

“Oh my God,” Clary says again, though she knows that this time it’s accompanied by an embarrassing flush. “I'm so glad my Mom isn't here right now.”

“You think your Mom and Luke never -”

Clary drops her fork against the dish with a clatter and clamps her hands over her ears. “Iz, _please_. You’re gonna scar me for life.” 

Izzy finishes her food and slides out of her chair, wandering over to stand behind Clary. She tugs Clary’s hands down from her ears and leans over her, arms around her shoulders.

“Mm,” she sighs, nuzzling against Clary’s shoulder. It’s immensely comforting. Izzy presses a quick kiss to the side of Clary’s head, then she’s gone, clearing the dishes.

Together they head back to Clary's bedroom. Izzy flops on the bed, face smushed into the pillows. Clary budges her girlfriend over, hands wandering over Izzy's ass in the process, and then snuggles down beside her. She has a curtain of Izzy's hair in her face and one of her legs dangles off the bed in a slightly uncomfortable way, but she can't find it in herself to care. They stay cuddled for so long Clary loses track, the two of them passing the time with nothing but gentle touches and hushed conversations.

After a while the soft kisses Izzy is pressing against Clary's hairline turn into something more, and she trails her lips along Clary's cheekbones, up her jaw, then finally meets Clary's lips with her own. Clary sighs into Izzy's mouth, pulling her closer and parting her lips to allow their tongues to stroke lazily. Izzy's hands rub small circles on Clary's back, floating under her shirt.

Clary shifts on the bed, settling further back into the pillows, tugging Izzy down on top of her. Her hands run up and down Izzy's arms, then down to the hem of the tee Izzy's wearing. Izzy giggles against Clary's neck as they work to take Izzy's top off, but her giggles turn to soft moans as Clary's hands find her breasts. Clary massages them gently, brushing the pad of her thumb against one of Izzy's nipples, which is already hardening from the chill of the air and their kisses.

Izzy drags her teeth lightly down Clary's neck, making Clary's breath catch. Nothing has ever felt more right, more perfect, than this, and she gently nudges Izzy's head up so she can look at her. Izzy's lips are a beautiful rosy red from kisses, and Clary runs her fingers along them.

"Love you," she whispers into the silence between them, a space that only they occupy. Izzy kisses Clary's fingers in turn, lips rising in a smile.

"Love you too," Izzy murmurs.

Clary surges up to kiss Izzy. A moment ago there had been a morning stillness about their kisses: intimate and wanting, but with the knowledge that they could take as long as they needed. Now desire is pooling low in Clary's stomach, spreading warm through her, and she kisses Izzy headily, hands wherever she can reach.

Sweaty palms jerkily slide Izzy's underwear off, but Izzy doesn't seem to mind, gasping against Clary's skin. She moves so one of Clary's legs is between hers and starts to make small rocking movements. Clary feels Izzy's nipples pebbling against her own chest, and she breaks away from Izzy's mouth only to remove her own shirt. The movement changes the angle between them slightly and Izzy's hips stutter as she moans. Then her mouth is around one of Clary's nipples, warm and wet and her tongue swirls deliciously and -

" _Fuck_ ," Clary breathes, now twitching her own hips, Izzy still continuing to grind against her. "God, that's it -"

Izzy lifts her head, eyes dark with want, and Clary bites her lip at the sight. Izzy's hand trails a wandering path down Clary's body, teasingly slow, and stops just at the waistband of Clary's underwear. Keeping Izzy's gaze, Clary wets two of her own fingers and walks them around her own nipple, as Izzy's fingers stroke lower, running over where Clary's wet and waiting for her. 

"God, Clary," Izzy says, breath coming quickly. Her eyes trace the movement of Clary's fingers and Clary jerks her hips up with a loud moan when Izzy's knuckle brushes over her clit. 

"Uuhn -" Clary tugs at Izzy's shoulder, pulling her girlfriend back up to her. "Here," she says, shaking fingers pointing at her mouth. "Iz, I want you here -"

Izzy whimpers and crawls up Clary's body, pausing to press wet open-mouthed kisses along Clary's tummy, between her breasts. Finally she's as close as Clary wants her,  _needs_ her, thighs bracketing Clary's neck, hands pressing into the pillow, fingers trailing gently through Clary's hair. 

"Are you sure?" Izzy whispers. Clary looks up at her: raven hair streaming down, framing her perfect face. Izzy's breath comes quickly, a slight sheen of sweat cast over her, and Clary smiles. 

"Yeah," she says, and then Izzy's there. Clary presses her lips to the inside of Izzy's thighs, tracing lines against the soft skin with her tongue. She kisses her way up one thigh, _so_ close to where Izzy wants her, then turns her head to kiss and lick up the other thigh. Izzy's hands wind through and tighten in Clary's hair, and the quiet gasping moans she's letting out drive Clary closer to the edge. 

"Cla - ry," Izzy says brokenly, and Clary gives her what she wants, tongue licking up between Izzy's folds and circling at her clit. The noise that leaves Izzy's mouth is heavenly, and Clary's hips jerk upwards against nothing. She slowly twirls the tip of her tongue over Izzy's nub. 

The angle is slightly awkward so she pushes Izzy forward by her ass. Izzy gets the hint and shifts her hips so she's sitting more directly over Clary's mouth, and Clary hums in appreciation, which makes Izzy groan loudly. Clary can't move her arms too much because of Izzy's body, but she hooks her elbow over one of Izzy's thighs, bending it towards herself. She breaks away from kissing at Izzy's clit and sucks her own thumb into her mouth. Clary uses her thumb to circle the nub, then tongues inside Izzy's wetness. Izzy jolts against Clary, making a sound somewhere between a shout and a scream. 

"Oh GodohGodoh - nnhn -" 

Clary's thumb circles Izzy's clit faster, tongue still fucking in and out of her.

"Clary - that's - there there  _there,_ " Izzy babbles.

Izzy's hands scrabble at Clary's hair now, tugging a little frantically. Clary brings her arm up, under Izzy's thigh, so she can use her hand. She wets her first two fingers in her own mouth and then slides one inside Izzy. She crooks it  _just so_ and Izzy lets out a broken cry, gasping soft little  _oh_ sounds like she always does when she's close to coming. She's throbbing against Clary's mouth, and Clary moves her tongue against Izzy's clit once again.

"Oh, oh oh - oh - oh - more,  _more._ "

Clary hums again, which makes Izzy's hips jerk. She adds another finger, moving them quickly, carefully, inside her girlfriend. Clary glances up to see Izzy panting heavily above her, eyes screwed shut and mouth parted. Clary can't help the moan that leaves her at the sight; her girlfriend is positively  _angelic_. She bends her fingers, suckling at Izzy's clit, and Izzy's  _oh_ s fall rapidly from her lips. Izzy rocks back and forth against Clary's mouth, and Clary keeps her fingers crooked inside Izzy's wetness. 

"Uhn - nhgh - Clary - Cla - ry -"

Clary circles Izzy's nub with her tongue once more, and Izzy jerks twice against Clary's mouth before she comes, thighs trembling, Clary's fingers inside her.

Izzy pants loudly, heavily, a whine escaping on the first out breath. She moves away from Clary's face but immediately curls into her side. Her arm flops against Clary's tummy.

It takes Izzy a while to come back to herself, and Clary watches her. Her eyes are closed, a strand of dark hair falling over her face. Clary brushes it back tenderly. Izzy smiles softly, her expression satiated, content.

Clary presses a kiss to Izzy's temple and pulls the covers up a little way. 

"You okay?" she asks. She feels Izzy nod against her and smiles. 

"Amazing," Izzy replies after a moment, kissing Clary's collarbone. "Mm." She blinks at Clary through heavy eyes, teeth grazing her bottom lip. "When I've recovered I'll return the favour."

Clary laughs, holding Izzy closer, and when Izzy finally kisses her once more she forgets about anything apart from the girl in front of her, and her whole world is  _Izzy Izzy Izzy._

**Author's Note:**

> come hang with me on [tumblr](http://lesbianclaryfairchilds.tumblr.com)!


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